Protective device for vending machines



l.. J. woLF PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR VENDING MACHINES July 7, 1970 Filed July 9, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q" l .n1-? J2 fili? mvENroR: LESTER J. WOLF ArTvs.

United States Patent O 3,518,951 PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR VENDING MACHINES Lester J. Wolf, Westmont, NJ., assignor to Gas-Guard Corporation of America, Haddon Heights, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 782,581,

Dec. 10, 1968. This application `Iuly 9, 1969, Ser.

Int. Cl. Eg 3/00; G08b 15/02 U.S. Cl. 109-32 10 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE This application is a continuation-in-part of my U.S. Patent application for Protective Device, Ser. No. 782,581 filed Dec. l0, 1968.

The present invention relates to locked closures of the type in which tampering with the closure discharges a tear-gas bomb or other alarm.

lPrior to the present invention, devices of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,730,970 have been successful in preventing tampering with bore closures which swing in one direction. In my co-pending application Ser. No. 782,581 led Dec. l0, 1968, I have disclosed a protective device for doors -which may be forced open in several directions. yEach of these devices comprises a separate lock assembly which is cooperable with a keeper or strike in addition to the conventional latch and keeper assembly.

These devices have not been previously soccessfully applied to vending machines and cabinets of the type which are of sheet metal construction and are reasonably easily forced open. Accordingly, the present invention provides a device which may be economically installed on a vending machine or other cabinet in conjunction with the pre-existing lock.

More specifically, the present invention provides a mechanism including a strike which may replace the conventional strike, the mechanism including a resilient mounting for the replacement strike which affords triggering of an alarm upon forcible displacement of the replacement strike.

Another object of the present invention is to p-rovide a protective device of the aforementioned type wherein the strike is resilientlymounted against a stop element which is released when unauthorized tampering occurs with the protective device to thereby trgger the alarm.

All of the objects of the invention are more fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. l is a perspective View of a vending machine embodying a protective device in accordance with the present invention with it opened;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in front elevation showing in full lines the protective device with the latch of the vending machine closed and locked, and in broken lines with the latch unlocked;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 2 with the cover shown in broken lines as seen from the line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

Patented July '7., 1970 PIG. 4 is an inverted plan View of the protective device shown in FIG. 2 at an enlarged scale as seen from the line 4 4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5a is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line Sez-5a of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views taken on the lines 5 5; 6 6; 7 7; 8 8 and i9 9 respectively of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of FIG. 8.

Referring to FIG. 1, the drawing illustrates a vending machine having a removable front cover 12 hinged to the base 13 so as to swing outwardly therefrom. A lock 14 has a latch 15 which is operable to engage with a strike 16 secured to the base 13 as shown. In a conventional machine, the strike 16 is tixedly mounted to the base 13 so that when the lock rotates the latch 15 into engagement with the strike, the machine is locked in closed position.

In accordance with the present invention, the normally fixed strike is replaced by the resiliently-biased strike 16. To this end, as as shown in FIG. 4, the strike 16 is mounted in a chassis 21 secured to the inside of the vending machine casing 13. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the strike 16 is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in the chassis 21 so that a latch opening 22 therein is normally in position to be engaged by the latch 15 of the lock 14. The strike 16 is biased rearwardly by a spring 23 seated at one end on the chassis 21 and at the other end on a stop pin 24 mounted at the inner end of the strike 16. If unauthorized entry is attempted by forcing the cover 12 outwardly from the base 13, the spring 23 affords longitudinal displacement of the strike which will trigger the alarm as described hereinafter.

To provide a lguard against tampering, the strike 16 is notched as indicated at 25 to provide a shoulder 26 'which normally bears against an abutment 27 which consists of an angle member secured to the chassis 21. It should be noted that the angle member forming the abutment 27 is secured to the chassis 21 by the same fasteners 29 which are employed to secure the chassis to the casing 13. The fasteners 29 comprise bolts and lock nuts which require access to both the bolt and the nut to unscrew the same. Thus, unauthorized tampering with the device, for example removal of the fasteners 29, either by unscrewing or shearing off the bolts, will free the abutment 27 and permit retraction of the strike 16 under the bias of the spring 23 to trigger the alarm, as described hereinafter.

In order to facilitate assembly of the protective device to the casing 13, a temporary mount for the abutment 27 may be provided on the chassis 21. To this end, a tapped aperture 31 is provided in the chassis to register with an aperture 32 in the abutment element 27. A fastener, as shown in broken lines at 33 in FIG. 6, may then be engaged in the tapped 31 to retain the abutment member in proper place on the chassis 21 during the assembly operation. When the chassis is properly mounted on the casing 13, with the fasteners 29 passing through the casing, the chassis, and the abutment member, the temporary fastener 33 may be removed so as to activate the tamper-proof safeguard provided by the abutment 27.

In accordance with the invention, an alarm device is provided having a trigger means mounted on the strike 16 operable upon displacement of the strike to trigger or initiate an alarm, as for example when the closure 12 is forced open or when the fasteners 29 are released. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the alarm device comprises an elongated capsule 42 of a disabling gas, such as tear gas, having a cap 43 operable in response to percussive detonation to explode and release the gas from the capsule 42. The detonator means comprises a rocker arm 44 mounted in the chassis 21 to be displaced by a ring pin 45 carried in a hollow cylindrical guide 46 for displacement between an active position engaging the rocker arm 44 and an inactive position away from said rocker arm. The pin 45 is biased toward the active position by a compression spring 47 mounted in the guide surrounding a reduced portion of the pin as shown in FIG. 4. The guide member 46 is mounted in the chassis 21 to lie parallel to and alongside the tear gas capsule 42. The ring pin 45 projects through the end of the guide member 46 and terminates in a conical tip 45a. A circumferential groove 48 is provided adjacent the tip 45a providing an annular sho-ulder adapted to bear upon a pointed catch 36 at the nose portion of a spring sear member 37 mounted on the strike 16, for example by fasteners 38, as shown in FIG. 5. Thus upon longitudinal displacement of the strike 16, the nose portion 36 of the sear 37 disengages the annular shoulder formed by the groove 48 to release the firing pin 45 for movement towards active position under the bias of the spring 47 to displace the rocker 44 to percussively engage the cap 43 and release the gas from the capsule 42.

The spring mounting of the sear catch 36 renders the device responsive to other types of attempted forcible entry. If an attempt is made to forcibly fbend the strike to permit entry, the bending of the strike `will cause the catch portion 36 of the sear to disengage the groove 48 and eifect triggering of the alarm and release of the gas from the capsule 42.

The gas released from the capsule 42 will ow into the interior of the casing 13, and in addition, means is provided to permit escape of the gas exteriorly of the casing 13 adjacent the lock 14 so as to drive away the intruder. To this end, the chassis 21 is cut away as indicated at S1 along the capsule `42 and the top wall of the base 13 is provided with apertures 52 in registry with the cutout 51. A cover 53 shields the apertures 52 to prevent entry of foreign matter into the casing 13, the cover shield 53 being provided with louvers as indicated at 54 in FIG. 2. The shield 53 is mounted on the casing 13 by the fasteners.29 described above.

The capsule is readily replaced in the chassis 21 when it has been discharged. To this end, a leaf spring element 55 is secured to the chassis at one end, for example by rivets 56 and bears at its other free end against the capsule 42 to retain the capsule in position lwith its cap in registry with the rocker. To prevent inadvertent displacement of the tear gas capsule 42 during the routine servicing of the unit, a cover sheath 57 is secured to the chassis 21 to overlie the capsule 42 and the firing mechanism. Suitable warning indicia are provided on the interior sheath 57 and the exterior shield 53 to warn of the presence of the protective device and guard against vandalism or other tampering.

It should be noted that the particular arrangement of parts embodied in the illustrated embodiment provide a compact assembly which occupies minimum space and yet which is fully effective for its intended purpose. The installation of the protective device is relatively inexpensive because of the use of the standard lock which is already provided in the vending machine or other cabinet.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has 'been herein illustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosure but it will be obvious that changes and modifications may be made to accommodate the invention to a particular end use.

1. In a protective device for access openings having a frame structure and a closure structure normally movable between an open position and a closed position in said frame structure;

a lock element having a latch; means mounting said lock element on one of said structures; a strike element; means mounting said strike element on the other of said structures in registry with said latch to lock said closure against opening from said closed position when said latch is in operative position; one of said mounting means permitting limited movement of its associated element; yieldable means urging said movable element to a home position; an alarm mechanism having trigger means adjacent said movable element operable between an active position in which it triggers the alarm mechanism and an inactive position; bias means to urge said trigger means toward said active position; and a sear carried by said movable element in a position when it is in its home position to retain said trigger means in its inactive position against said 'bias means and operable upon displacement of said movable element away from its home position against said yieldable means to elect displacement of said trigger means to said active position;

the improvement wherein said device includesl a stop element in a set position engaging said movable element and determining said home position thereof against the action of said yieldable means, and means anchoring said stop element in said set position, said anchoring means operable upon tampering with said device to release said stop element from said set position so as to permit displacement of said movable element from said home position by said yieldable means, and triggering of said alarm mechanism.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said anchoring means comprises a fastener securing said stop element against displacement relative to said one mounting means, said fastener passing through said one mounting means and engaging its associated structure so that forcible separation of said mounting means from its associated structure effects release of said fastener and said stop means to thereby trigger said alarm mechanism.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said movable element is notched to provide a shoulder, and said stop means comprises an angular member engaging said shoulder, said fastener passing through said angular member and serving as a mounting element for said one mounting means upon its associated structure.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein said movable element is normally movable in a straight-line path parallel to the movement of said closure structure, said trigger means includes a spring-biased firing pin transverse to the path of movement of said movable element and having a circumferential groove therein, said sear comprising a nose portion engaging in said groove when said movable element is in its home position and laterally disengaged therefrom upon displacement of said movable element from its home position.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein said sear element comprises a resilient leaf spring element operable to disengage said nose portion from said groove upon forcible displacement of said movable element out of its normal straight-line path of movement away from said firing pin.

6. A device according to claim 4 wherein said movable element consists of the said strike element, said element having a latch-receiving aperture disposed therein transverse to said normal straight-line path of movement.

7. In a protective device for access opening having a frame structure and closure structure normally movable in opposite directions between an open position and a closed position in said frame structure;

a lock element having a latch; means mounting said lock element on one of said structure; a strike element; means mounting said strike element on the other of said structures in registry with said latch to lock said closure against opening from said closed position when said latch is in operative position;

said strike-mounting means comprising a chassis permitting limited sliding movement of said strike in a path substantially parallel to said opposite directions; stop means to determine a home position for said strike, yieldable means urging said strike toward said stop and thereby said home position, forcible opening of said closure structure kwhen said latch is operative being operable to slidably displace said strike away from said home position in said path against the urging of said yieldable means; an alarm mechanism having trigger means adjacent said strike operable between an active position in which it triggers the alarm mechanism and an inactive position; bias means to urge said trigger means toward said active position; and a Sear on said strike in a position when it is in its home position to retain said trigger means in its inactive position against said bias means and operable upon displacement of said strike in said path away from its home position against the urging of said yieldable means to effect displacement of said trigger means to said active position. 8. A device according to claim 7 wherein trigger means includes a firing pin mounted for longitudinal movement transverse to the path of movement of said strike, and

having means forming a shoulder in said tiring pin to abut against said Sear when said strike is in its home position.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein said alarm mechanism includes a gas capsule having a cap operable to be percussively detonated upon displacement of said trigger means into its acti-ve position, detonation of said cap releasing gas from said capsule.

10. A device according to claim 9 wherein said capsule is disposed alongside said ring piu and including a rocker arm pivoted intermediate said ring pin and said capsule, au operable upon displacement of said firing pin to percussively engage said cap and detonate the same.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,041,577 5/ 1936 Sutherland 109--32 X 2,541,563 2/1951 Walsh 109-32 2,730,970 1/ 1956 Martin 109-32 3,057,321 10/1962 Pretn 109-31 X 3,060,633 10/1962 Glass et al. 109-44 X 3,322,078 5/1967 MacDonald 109--31 I. KARL BELL, Primary Examiner 

